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A new resource from Deans for Impact aims to give guidance to anyone working in education who is interested in understanding the science of how learning takes place and what that means for how we teach. The intention is that the publication will evolve over time, and as well as being periodically revised by the authors, they also hope that teachers and others will provide additional evidence that they can include.
This first version summarises existing research from cognitive science around six key questions:
How do pupils understand new ideas?
How do pupils learn and retain new information?
How do pupils solve problems?
How does learning transfer to new situations?
What motivates pupils to learn?
What are some common misconceptions about how pupils think and learn?
The findings for each question are then divided into “cognitive principles” and “practical implications for the classroom.” In both cases, the original research is clearly referenced for anyone wishing to find out more.
Source: The Science of Learning (2015), Deans for Impact.